• Criminal Justice
• WSICOP
• WRICOPS

Executive abstract & highlights

A Process Evaluation of the Mountlake Terrace Neutral Zone and Gang Intervention Program.

The following report summarizes the results from a process evaluation of the Mountlake Terrace Neutral Zone Gang Intervention Program as observed during the Spring of 1994.

The Neutral Zone was first established in Mountlake Terrace, Washington in June, 1992 by the Mountlake Terrace Police Department in conjunction with the Mountlake Terrace Community Action Resource Team. Each Friday and Saturday evening from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. program staff and volunteers administer the Neutral Zone to youth ages 13-20 who are at high risk for gang involvement. As originally conceived, the Neutral Zone offers participants an alternative environment for which to more productively pass their time than they otherwise might if left to their own devices.

A school building in a residential section of Mountlake Terrace serves as the site for the Neutral Zone. Each evening's events include recreational activities such as volleyball, basketball, and foosball; social service presentations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and AIDS awareness; movies; music; and hot meals. A minimum number of rules for participation are imposed by adult supervisors in the interest of encouraging inclusion. Program materials such as sporting equipment, food, and occasionally, door prizes typically are donated by local merchants.

The following report describes an empirical assessment of Mountlake Terrace's Neutral Zone Program. First, a summary description of the program is provided. Second, the research methodology is presented to illustrate the systematic measures used to assess program implementation and short-term effectiveness. Third, the data that were collected are discussed, especially in light of program goals and implementation, and some recommendations for fine-tuning the program are offered.

Overall, the data presented in this report (collected from direct observations on-site, focus group surveys with participating youth and program staff, and official crime data) indicate that the Neutral Zone indeed is an innovative gang intervention that is being successfully implemented in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. In terms of impact, the data suggest that the youth benefited from the program, that their view of police officers as positive role models was enhanced through close interactions with police department personnel in an informal setting, that lines of communication between the youth and the police were much improved, and that if the youth were not attending the Neutral Zone it is expected they likely would be at considerably greater risk of committing delinquent and/or criminal acts.

Another notable benefit observed included a better understanding by the Neutral Zone staff of the pressures put upon the participating youth. While it remains for further research to document the long-term effects of the program on those who participate, our data indicate that the Neutral Zone is a successful crime prevention program, and beyond this, offers an innovative and useful foundation on which to build in order to constructively intervene in the lives of gang at-risk youth.

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Executive highlights

Data collected from direct observations, focus group interviews, and official crime statistics all attest to successful program implementation and direct benefits of Mountlake Terrace's Neutral Zone program.

• The research team observed approximately 186 youths from Mountlake Terrace and the surrounding areas being served each Friday and Saturday evening by Neutral Zone staff and volunteers.

• Eighty-six percent of the focus group youth say that they attend the Neutral Zone "almost every weekend."

• All of the focus group youth reported that they voluntarily participated in the Neutral Zone without any pressure from parents, friends, or law enforcement officials,

• Sixty-eight percent of the responding youth stated that they would be "on the street and getting into trouble" if the Neutral Zone were not an available alternative during Friday and Saturday evenings.

• All of the focus group youth commented that the Neutral Zone activities exceeded their expectations.

• Many of the youth associated the recreational activities, the safe program environment, and the people they met (including program staff and Mountlake Terrace police officers) as the most beneficial parts of the Neutral Zone experience.

• Participating youth credited the program with helping them get along better with others whom they expected to conflict with and learn teamwork, valuable sports skills, and respect for the law.

• All of the focus group youth agreed that the Mountlake Terrace Neutral Zone delivers on its pledge as a "neutral zone." Furthermore, over ninety percent of these focus group respondents agreed that they would (or already have done so) recommend the program to their friends.

• The most frequent criticism of the Neutral Zone mentioned by participating youth concerned the relatively short duration of the program's operating hours and days.

• All of the program staff and volunteers reported that they believed the Neutral Zone was achieving its overall objectives.

• All of the program staff acknowledged that they had personally benefited from their involvement with the Neutral Zone and all stated that they would recommend the program Zone to other co-workers.

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